Book Finder

Welcome to Tía Lola’s bed and breakfast! With the help of her niece and nephew and the three Sword Sisters, Tía Lola is opening the doors of Colonel Charlebois’ grand old Vermont house to visitors from all over. But Tía Lola and the children soon realize that running a B & B isn’t as easy they had initially thought — especially when it appears that someone is out to sabotage them! Will Tía Lola and the kids discover who’s behind the plot to make their B & B fail?

Miguel Guzman isn’t exactly looking forward to the summer now that his mother has agreed to let the Sword family — a father, his three daughters, and their dog — live with them while they decide whether or not to move to Vermont. Little does Miguel know his aunt has something up her sleeve that just may make this the best summer ever. With her usual flair, Tía Lola decides to start a summer camp, complete with magical swords, nighttime treasure hunts, campfires, barbecues, and an end-of-summer surprise!

“Just as warm and upbeat as How Tía Lola Came to (Visit) Stay (2001), the second book about Miguel and Juanita’s aunt, who comes from the Dominican Republic to live with the kids’ family in Vermont, is written in the same lively, playful style. Language is a central focus as Tía Lola volunteers to teach Spanish in the local elementary school. The story builds to a tense climax when her visa is about to expire, and the whole town rallies for her to stay. Readers will enjoy both the messages and the humor in Tía’s wry, wise sayings.” — Booklist

“Drawing on his own experience as a child refugee from Cuba, Flores-Galbis offers a gripping historical novel about children who were evacuated from Cuba to the U.S. during Operation Pedro Pan in 1961. Julian, a young Cuban boy, experiences the violent revolution and watches mobs throw out his family’s furniture and move into their home. For his safety, his parents send him to a refugee camp in Miami, but life there is no sweet haven…(T)his is a seldom-told refugee story that will move readers.” — Booklist

How 33 Chilean miners were rescued from a copper mine dominated the media in 2010. It is recounted here using primary sources, scientific explanations, and a riveting narrative.

Eleven year old Molly is homesick when her family moves to Connecticut from London. But a book entitled The Life of Nelson connects Molly to her home and to 11-year old Sam, a boy pressed into service in the English navy as an aide to Admiral Nelson during war. Told in two distinct voices, past and present gradually come together bringing both into clear focus.

While on holiday, the Drew children Barney, Simon, and Jane find a map in a hidden room in the Cornwall house, involving them and their great uncle, Merry, in a struggle between good and evil steeped in Arthurian legend. The first in the Dark is Rising sequence, the entire series exudes a strong sense of place and traditional tales. (The sequence continues with The Dark is Rising (opens in a new window) followed by Greenwitch (opens in a new window), The Grey King (opens in a new window), and concludes with Silver on the Tree (opens in a new window).

Nat Field finds friendship and relief from the loss of his parents when acting and is thrilled when chosen to go to England to perform in the new Globe Theater. Instead, he is transported back in time to perform in the original and meet William Shakespeare. Past and present come alive for contemporary readers in this riveting look at the connections between time and place.

Until it strikes uncomfortably close to home, three English boys are fascinated by the war and the bombing of their city, London. Derek and his friends come to understand true fear and the meaning of war in this realistic novel that explores themes of friendship, fear, and retaliation.

When the Volnick family accidentally brings a Boggart home to Toronto from Scotland, the results are tumultuous and very funny. It’s up to Jess and Emily to figure out how to return the rascally spirit. The family meets the Boggart again on another visit to Scotland with similar outrageous results (which include a renowned water creature) in The Boggart & the Monster (opens in a new window). Both books are steeped in the magic and traditions of the region in which they are set.

In this 3rd book about Pacy, she and her family plan to go to Taiwan to celebrate her grandmother’s birthday.

An unlikely friendship develops between a small, basket-weaving mouse named Celeste and the young apprentice to the great naturalist, Audubon. They meet when Joseph accompanies Audubon to New Orleans to paint the birds of Louisiana. Evocative pencil drawings add information as well as emotion in this unique, attractive, sometimes sad, but always riveting blend of fact and fantasy.

This humorous and heartwarming novel takes place during the summer of 1962, when narrator Jack Gantos turns 12 and has been “grounded for life” by his parents. He takes on a summer job writing obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his Utopian town, Norvelt. Gantos expertly mixes truth and fiction in this book. For mature readers 9-12 and teens. (2012 Newbery Medal Winner)

Bits and pieces in Miranda’s life in New York City in 1978 mysteriously come together to reveal a surprising whole in which Miranda’s favorite book, Madeline L’Engle’s Wrinkle in Time, figures prominently. (2010 Newbery Medal Winner)

Gareth, Jason’s cat, knows that a cat’s nine lives are really nine trips. Since a cat can take a friend along, Jason & Gareth travel to long ago places and times. This modern classic is certain to intrigue readers while introducing them to a bit of history and historical sites.

The Great Depression changed everything for 11-year-old Oscar and his widowed dad. Oscar’s prized model trains are sold, his dad leaves Illinois to find work in California, and Oscar begins an adventure through time and places after he jumps onto a model train.

In this book, the supernatural is everywhere, and children of the Ojibwe First Nation learn the stories of their culture by living them — on a raft, catching a bird, or meeting a mysterious girl in the forest.

In Dog People: Native Dog Stories, the voice of an Abenaki storyteller takes children back 10,000 years to the days when children and dogs had especially close relationships. In these Native American adventure stories, children and dogs together must use their wits to survive the dangers of the natural world. — Midwest Book Review

This summer vacation is different without father and the oldest Penderwick but offers lots of laughs along the way.

Chris’s life is complicated. At school, he’s been selected to lead a project on sports teams with Indian names. At home, where his father is battling alcoholism on the Penacook reservation, the Indians are divided about building a casino. It would destroy the beautiful island Chris thinks of as his own. What can one sixth-grade boy can do in the midst of so many challenges?

In this coming-of-age story, the children of the longhouse are 11-year-old Ohkwa’ri and Itsi:tsia. Twin brother and sister, they live in a Mohawk town in the traditional homelands of what is now eastern New York State in 1491. Reflecting the balance between male and female roles in Iroquois society, the book’s chapters alternate between the events and perspectives of Ohkwa’ri and Itsi:tsia, who very definitely see things differently. Bruchac seamlessly incorporates an impressive amount of information about pre-contact Mohawk culture, society, and beliefs, and tells a good story as well. — Oyate

For young Samuel Russell, the summer of 1777 is a time of fear. The British Army is approaching, and the Indians in the area seem ready to attack. To Stands Straight, a young Abenaki Indian scouting for King George, Americans are dangerous enemies who threaten his family and home. When Stands Straight’s party enters the Quaker Meetinghouse where Samuel worships, the two boys share an encounter that neither will ever forget. Told in alternating viewpoints, this chapter book is based on a true story.

Danny Bigtree’s family has moved to a new city, and Danny can’t seem to fit in. He’s homesick for the Mohawk reservation, and the kids in his class tease him about being an Indian — the thing that makes Danny most proud. Can Danny, drawing on his Mohawk heritage, find the courage to stand up for himself?

An important credo of Native life states that you can learn while you play and play while you learn. Readers can pore over intriguing stories and play these fun-filled games as they learn how global thought and beliefs can transcend their own lives. Sample themes, stories, and games include the Ball Players in the Sky (Passamaquoddy); Gluskabe Brings the Summer (Abenaki); and Nanabush and the Ducks (Anishinabe).